Machine for making nets.



R. P. DANIELS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING NETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.11, 190s.

= 9 82 Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

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R. F. DANIELS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING NETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.11. 1906.

. Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

R. F. DANIELS. MACHINE FOR MAKING NETS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1900.

Patentd Dec.27,1910.

V 12 SHEETS-$111331 4.

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R. P. DANIELS.

MACHINE FOR-MAKING NETS. APPLICATION 311.21) AUG. 11, 1906.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

,7 mm A R. F. DANIELS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING NETS.

APPLICATION IILED we. 11. 1906.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

Y [91 72/01": v fiu'r/zardffiamit R. F. DANIELS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING NETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1906.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

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R. F. DANIELS.

MAGHINE FOR MAKING NETS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1906.

R. P. DANIELS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING NETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1906.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 10.

R. F. DANIELS. MACHINE FOR MAKING NETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1906.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 11.

R. F. DANIELS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING NETS. APPLiGATION FILED AUG.11.1906.

979 828 Patented Dec. 27,1910.

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STATESPTENT OFICE.

RICHARD F. DANIELS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING NETS.

Specification of Letters Iatent; I Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application filed August 11, 1906. Serial No. 330,130.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. DANIELS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county. of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Nets, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

' are quite as durable as the more expensive nets having double knots, a feature of the invention provides for the application of great power to the tying of the knots.

Further features of the invention will be developed during the course'of the following specification. I

The invention is exemplified by the structure hereinafter described'and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a netting machine, constructed according to the invention, some .of the parts being removed; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line 3-3, of Fig.1; Fig.4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the lines 44 of Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 5 is a central vertical section of the machine, a part of the framework being omitted for the sakeof illustration; Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of a power cylinder used on the machine; Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional details on the line 77 and 8-8, respectively, of Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is a detail rear elevation of the machine, some of the parts being shown in vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 10 is a detail end elevation of the machine, showing the parts illustrated in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a stop used on the machine; Fig. 1.2v is a plan sectional view of the machine on the line 1212 of Fig. 3; Fig. 13 is a detail elevation of a part of the loop forming mechanism of the machine; Fig. 14 is a botin Fig. 12; Fig. 15 is 'a perspective view showing in detail the looping pin illustrated 1n Fig. 14, inverted; Fig. 16 is a detail longitudlnal section of the machine, some of tom plan View of some of the parts shown I.

the parts being omitted; Fig. 17 is a detail and elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 16, some of them appearing in vertical crossdrawn to a larger scale; Fig. 19 is a central vertical section of a shuttle used on the machine; Fig. 20 is a bottom plan view of the same; Fig. 21 is a front elevation of the same; Figs. 22, 23 .and 24 showdetails of the shuttle mechanism; Fig. 25 is a detail longitudinal section of. the machine, some of the parts being omitted; Fig. 26 is a detail plan section of the machine; Fig. 27 shows a detail of Fig. 4 drawn to a larger scale;

Figs. 28 and 29 are detail cross-sections on 'the line 28-28 and 2929, respectively, of

Fig. 27; Figs. 30 to 37 inclusive illustrate the operation of the knot-forming mechanism used on the machine; Fig. 38 shows a detail of a fabric which may be produced upon the. machine; Figs. 39 and 40 are diagrammatic illustrations of a method of forming knots upon the machine; Fig. 41 shows in perspective a journal-bearing used on the machine; and Fig. 42 is a detail elevation of some of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

A detail of netting, such as may be produced by the particular form of machine illustrated in the drawings, is shown in Fig.

, 38, and is composed of'warp threads A, A,

and weft threads B, B, knotted together, as indicated at 101 and 102, to form angular meshes 103. In order that these meshes may not be distorted by a twisting of the threads in their manufacture, adjacent knots upon each thread must be oppositely drawn, that is, as each weft thread is knotted alternately with each .of two adjacent warp threads,the knots must be so produced that the ends 6, 6, of the weft thread B where it is knotted with v the warp thread A, as indicated at 102, Fig. 38, must be directed toward the adjacent Warp thread on the opposite side from that toward which the ends I), b, of the weft thread B at the next adjacent knot on the same warp thread A are directed. This effect is produced by forming a different form of loop in the warp thread for each alternate knot.

In Fig. 39, there is shown a loop, such as section; Fig. 18 is similar to Fig-16, but

1 is produced for tying knots of the form designated 101 in Fig. 38, while in Fig. 40 is shown the form of loop produced for the oppositely drawn knots, as 102. The method of tying the two knots is illustrated more in detail in Figs. to 37 inclusive, Figs. 30 to 33 showing the formation of a knot b means of the loop illustrated inFig. 39, an Figs. 34 to 37 showing the formation of such a knot as is produced by means of the loop illustrated in Fig. 40

In the preferred form of machine illustrated in the drawings, the loop shown in Fig. 39 is produced by guiding the warp thread A by means of a suitable thread-carrier 103, most clearly shown in Fig. 4,'to the right beneath a looping pin 104, and then upwardly and to the left around a second looping pin or needle 105, the strand a. between the two looping pins being in the meantime drawn backwardly and to the left by a-catch or hook 106, and there is preferably also a movement of the pin 104 to the right to further open out the loop. The weft thread, as B, is then passed back and forth I through vthe loop, as indicated by the arrow,

Fig. 39, by means of a shuttle 107, producing a knot which, when drawn tight, is of the form shown at 101,. Fig. 38. In producing the form of knots designated 102, Fig. 38, the same cycle of operations is followed, except that the warpthread is passed around the upper looping-pin or needle 105 to the right, as shown in Fig. 40, and in Figs. 34 to 37, inclusive.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is adapted to operate simultaneously upon a considerable number of warp threads A, A, and has a less number by one of shuttles 107, the warp thread at each end of the machine being knotted with a weft thread only during the production of each alternate row of knots, thus forming a selvage edge at each side of the fabric produced. There is provided a bed, generally designated 108, and having uprights 109,110, a horizontally-disposed connecting member or table 111,

which, as shown, is provided with a longitudinal aperture 112 through which the carrier 103 may operate and across which the shuttles 107 travel, and which will hereinafter be referred to as the throat of the machine. The bed of the machine 108' is also provided with an inclined front 113, upon which are mounted a plurality of s indles 114 for receiving spools 115 containing the warp threads, asA, A, and, as shown, the bed of the machine is longitudinally extended by a framework, generally designated 116, I adapted to support a driving shaft 117, and i a portion of the operating mechanism of the machine.

formed, as already described, by the successive production of rows of knots, 101, 102,

at the throat of the machine between warp threads A, A, delivered from the spools 115, and weft threads B, B, delivered from the shuttles 107, is led over suitable take-up rolls 118, 119, to a drum 120 near the top of the machine and against which it is held in frictional contact by means of a guide-roller 121, and then p isses over-a further roller 122, as shown, journaled in bracket-arms 123, to permit'tne finished article to overhang the back of the machine, where it is deposited in a suitable receptacle, not shown. The take-up rolls 118 and 119, and the drum 120, are intermittently driven to advance the fabric between each row of knots produced atthe throat of the machine, the size of the mesh which is formed being de termined by the distance which the fabric is advanced at each movement of the drum 120. For turning the drum there is rigidly mounted on the end of the drum-shaft 124 a ratchet-wheel 125, most clearly shown" in Figs. 1 and 2, and cooperating with this ratchet-wheel is a pawl-arm 126, formed upon a gear-wheel 127, loosely mounted on the drum-shaft 124 adjacent the ratchet wheel. A plurality of spring-pawls 128, p-ivotally mounted in the upright 109 of the frame of the machine, engage the ratchet wheel 125 to prevent a counter-rotation of the drum 120. The gear wheel 127 is rotated to swing the pawl-arm 126 by means of a gear-rack 129, having an intermittent reciprocatingimovement. This gear-rack is most clearly shown in Fig. 10; it slides in suitable ways 130, formed on the end frame 109 of the machine, and, as shown, has formed on its back a lug 131, through which it is connected by meansof a link 132 to a swingin arm 133, Fig. 9, pivotally, attached to the ame of the machine near its base at 134. I v

' A spring 135 reacts upon the under face of the arm 133 with sufiicient force to normally hold the gear-rack 129 in araised position, the lug 131 being then in contact with a stop 136 limiting its upward move-- shown as'taking the form of a hand-wheel 141. As the stop 136 limits'the upward *movement of the gear-rack 129fand through it the swinging pawl-arm 126, the size of the meshes forme in the net produced by'th;

' machine is directly controlled by its position, The fabric produced by the machine and scale 142, graduated to indicate the correct position of the stop for the sizes of mesh most commonly used, as shown in Fig. 9.

The proper amount of warp thread for each mesh is delivered to. the knot-forming mechanism of the machine to be taken up by the next advance of the take-up apparatus just described, by means of a take-out device, most clearly shown in Figs. 16, 17 and 18. This device is located on the front of the machine immediately below the table 111 and just above the spool rack 113. It comprises a bar 143, rigidly fixed in position on the frame of the machine, being preferably secured to two standards 144 and 145, which support the spool rack, by means of screws 146. As shown, it is provided with a plu rality of apertures 147, one for each warp thread, and takes the form commonly termed a comb. Coiiperating with this bar or fixed comb 143 to draw out the warp threads from the spools 115, is a movable comb 148, as

shown taking the form of a bar having a.

longitudinal movement on the frame of the machine, and a plurality of apertures 149 for receiving thethreads. The comb 148 is moved in one direction (to the right as viewed in Fig. 18), by the drawing up of the warp threads by the take-up apparatus previously described, there being sufficient friction of the spools 115 on their spindles 114 to prevent the paying out of thread from thespools when the take-up apparatus is in operation.

The distance through which the movable comb 148 is shifted to the 'right'at each movement is determined wholly by the extent of movement of thetake-up apparatus, and after each of such movements it is returned to its normal position by means of a cam'150, formed on thedriving shaft 117.

' This cam reacts upon the cam roller 151 of a swinging arm 152, pivoted to the frame of the machine near its base at- 153, and having its free end connected, by means of a link 155 to across-head 154 to which the movable comb 148 is rigidly secured. The

action of the cam 150 is supplemented by means of a weight 156, connected to the movable comb by means of a cord 157, turning over a pulley 158 journaledin the frame of the machine. By means of this weight the warp threads A, A, are held taut when the cam 150 is out of operation.

In order to insure that thread may be drawn from the spools 115 when the movable comb 148 is moved by the cam 150,

and not returned from the knot-forming mechanism, each of the Warp threads A, A, after passing through the corresponding aperture 149 of the movable comb, passes through a thread lock 159 adapted to permit the passage of the thread in one direction only. As shown, this device takesthe form of a metal loop pivotally secured at i 161 to a plate 160, mounted on the front of 162, through which the thread passes, and

ashoulder 163 which, with a pin 161, forms a aw for gripping the thread when pressure 18 applied to the eye 162 to the left as viewed in Fig. 18.

The knot-forming mechanism of the machine comprises a carrier bar 103, having a plurality of eyes 200 for receiving the warp threads A, A. This carrier bar has a complex longitudinal and vertical reciprocating movement for the purpose of wrapping the Warp threads about the -looping pins 104 and 105 to, form a loop, as indicated in Figs. 39 and 40, through which the shuttle 107 passes its weft thread to produce a knot.

The carrier bar 103 is connected by links 201 'to a plurality of vertically movable cross-heads 202, each mounted on a vertical slide-rod 203 rigidly secured to the base of the machine, as indicated at 204, Fig. 4, As shown, movement is simultaneously imparted to each of the cross-heads 202 to vertically reciprocate the carrier-bar 103 by means of a plurality of bell-crank levers 205, each pivotally attached to the frame of the machine at 206, and having one of its arms connected to one ofthe cross-heads 202 by means of a link 207. The other arm of each of the bell-cranks is connected by a swivel 208 toa rod 209, leading from a swinging arm 210 hung from a transverse shaft 211 mounted in the longitudinally extended portion of the frame 116.- At the free end of the arm 210 there is provided a cam-engaging roller 212, which runs in the track of a two-wing cam 2'13 fixed in position on the driving shaft 117.

The links 201 connecting the carrier-bar 103 to the cross-head 202 permit the former to have an independent longitudinal reciprocating movement, and .this movement is controlled by means of a pattern wheel 214. This pattern wheel preferably rotates at a less rate than the driving shaft 117,

which, as shown, makes one complete revolution for each row of knots produced 'in the fabric, while the pattern wheel makes but one revolution for each two rows of knots produced, thereby providing a simple arrangement of parts for forming a different loop in each of the Warp threads for each alternate row of knots. As shown, the pattern Wheel 214' is loosely mounted on-the transverse shaft 211 and has gear connection with a pinion 215 carried by the driving shaft 117. It is provided -with a cam track 216 for swinging a bell-crank lever 217 pivotally attached to the frame of the machine at 218, and having upon one of its arms a cam roller 219 which-rides in the cam track of the pattern wheel. The other arm of the bell-crank lever 217 is operatively connected with the carrier bar 103 in such a way that the bar may be longitudinally reciprocated by the swinging ofthe lever independently of its vertical movement. As shown a vertical slideway 220 is formed in the carrier Y bar 103 adjacent one of its ends, and in this slideway there is mounted agib 221 having a rigid arm 222, which is pivotally attached to the bell-crank lever 217 at 223.

Preferably, though not necessarily, there is mounted on the carrier bar 103a plurality of loop-guiding hooks 250, most. clearly shown in Figs. 28 and 29. Normally one end of each of the hooks overhangs the upper edge of the carrier bar 103 between each pair of'thread eyes 200, and the move- -ment of the hooks on the bar is guided by a clip 251, preferably secured to the face of the bar by means of set-screws 252, and

having a plurality of recesses 253, onefor receivlng each of the hooks. A spring 254 connects each of the hooks to a bar 255,.

rigidly secured-to each of the cross-heads '202by a clamping bolt 256, and rendered vertically adjustable thereon by. means of a slotted aperture 257 formed in the crosshead for receiving the clamping bolt. Eachof the loop-guiding hooks 250 has an inclined portion 258, preferably adjacent its head, one face of which is adapted to engage a correspondingly inclined shoulder- 259, formed on the clip 251 to advance the hook by a cam action whenever itis raised,

relatively to the carrier bar 103, while the opposite face of the inclined portion of the hook engages the inclined edge 260 of the carrier bar by a cam action to'retract the hook whenever it is lowered on the'bar.

Preferably, near the foot of each 'hook 250, there is formed a shoulder 261 which a normally enga es the flange of .a cast-off 40 bar 262, most c early shown in Fig. 4. The

flange" of this cast-ofi' bar is slotted, as

indicated at 263, to receive each of the hooks.

It is fixed against longitudinal movement on the carrier-bar 103 by means of a pin 264 projecting from the face of the cast-off bar lnto a vertical slideway 265 formed in the carrier-bar, and it has an independent vertical movement to raise and advance the loop-guiding hooks. For this purpose there 1S pivotally mounted on each ofthe crossheads 202 a bell-crank lever 266, each having one of its arms connected to the cast-ofi' bar 262 by a link 267, which is referably vertically disposed in order that ongitudinal movement of the carrier bar and the cast-ofi' bar may not affect the relative vertical position of the latter. The other arm of each of the bell-crank levers'is connected by a swivel 268, Fig. 3, to a connecting rod 269, leading from a slide 270, vertlcally movable in a slideway 271, formed in a swinging arm 272 pivot-ally secured to the base of the-machine at 273.

So long as the swinging arm 272 remains $5 at rest in a substantialiy vertical position,

driving shaft 117 adjacent its'left end, as

the slide 270 will move in the slideway 271 whenever the cross-heads 202 are shifted, whereby the cast-ofi' bar 262 is caused to move vertically with the carrier bar 103, while an independent vertical movement may be imparted to the cast-ofl' bar 262 by swinging the arm 272 to turn the bell-crank levers. 266. For this purpose there is pro vided a cam' 273, rigidly mounted on the viewed in Fig. 2, and a rock-shaft 274, preferably journaled in brackets 275, secured to the inner face of the standard 109 of the frame of the machine, .has a pair of relatively inclined arms 276, 277, one of them being provided with a cam roller 278 for engaging the cam 273, and the other con nected by a link 279 to the swinging arm 2T2. Preferably, the vertically movable parts just described, including the carrier bar 103, the cast-olfbar 262, and the cross-heads 202, and their appurtenances, are counterweighted by means of a pair of weights 280, each connected to one of the cross-heads 202 by a chain 281 which passes over guidepulleys 282, journaled on the under side of the table 111.

Preliminary to the formation of a knot between each of the warp threads A, A, and the weft threads B, B, each of the warp threads is passed around the two looping pins 104, 105, which in the machine as illustrated are spaced apartvertically for a suf ficient distance to provide space between them for the passage of the shuttles 107 carrying' the Weftthreads B, B. As shown,

the pins 104 project in a row from the face of a laterally and longitudinally movable plate 300,. set'into the face of the table 111 of the machine adjacent the throat 112. This plate is most clearly shown in Fig. 14, and its position in the machine is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 12.

Each of the pins. 104 is provided with a diagonal channel 301, formed in its under face to receive the warp thread as it is assed around the pin, and has its upper ace inclined downwardly adjacent its point, as indicated at 302. Preferably a larger number by one of pins is provided than the number of Warp threads used on the machine, each of the warp threads being wrapped alternately about each of two adjacent pins, the pins at each end of the machine being, therefore, in operation only during the formation of each alternate knot.

The pins 105 project in a row from the face of a bar 303 extending over the table 111 of the machine for its entire length justabove the throat 112 and over the row of shuttles107. The bar-303 is movably supported by a plate 304 with which it has a sliding engagement, and

of the pins 105 has a pointed end in order to facilitate its withdrawal from the knots formed thereon, and resembles, therefore, the common sewing needle. Provision is made for longitudinally shifting the bar 303 to cause the pins 105 to cooperate with the thread carrier 103 in the formation of the loops of warp thread previously described, and for laterally moving the bar 303 to withdraw the pins from the loop field after each row of knots has been completed.

For longitudinally moving the bar, there is provided a bell-crank lever 305', Fig. 26, pivotally attached to the frame. of the machine at 306, and having one of its arms connected to the bar by means of a link 307, which isjoined to the bar by a vertical pivot-bolt 308, and to the bell-crank lever by a pin 309 fitting loosely in the end of the lever, in order that the bar 303 may have a slight amount of lateral movement 'with out'straining those connections, At the end of the other arm of the bell-crank lever 305 there is provided a cam-engaging roller- 310, which rides in a cam track 311 formed, as shown, on the back of the pattern wheel 214.

For laterally moving the needle bar 303,

there is provided a plurality of horizontally-disposed bellcrank levers 312, each pivotally attached to the frame of the machine at 313 and having one of its arms connected to the needle bar by a link 314, which preferably, when in its normal position, is perpendicular'to the bar in order that the longitudinal movement of-the bar will not affect its lateral position. The other arm of each of the bell-crank levers'312 isconnected by a swivel 315 to a connecting rod 316, extending along the back of the machine for its full length, and joined near one of its ends by a link 317 to one of the arms ofa bell-crank lever 318, ivotally attached by a bracket 319 to the rame of the machine. The bell-crank lever 318 is adapted to be swung to shift the connecting rod 316 bymeans of a cam 320, mounted on the driving shaft 117, be'ng preferably formed integral with the cam 273 provided for imparting independent vertical motion to the cast-off bar 255 of the thread carrier 103. i

Preferably, provision is made for separating the two vertical strands of each loop of the warp threads formed on the loo ing pins 104, 105, shuttle 107 through the loop. As shown, one

strand of the loop designated .a in Figs. 39-

and 40, lies somewhat back of the other strand, owing .to the diagonal disposition of the channel 301 formed in the under face of the pins 104 (Fig. 14). This strand of each loop is grasped'by a catch 106, and there is then a relative longitudinal movement between the pins 104 and the catches- 106. Each of the catches 106 comprises ato permit the passage 0 the two-part hook, each part of the hook being formed on one of two relatively -movable sliding plates 321, 322, most clearly shown in Fig. 13, the position of these plates in the machine being just above the pin-bar 300, as

shown in Fig. 3. Relative movement is as indicated at 326, 327. For swinging these toggle links their pivotal connection 325 is connected by a link 328 to one arm of a bellcrank lever 329, ivotally attached to the frame of the machine at 330, Fig. 7, and op-' erated by means of a cam 331 formed on the.

driving shaft 117, and preferably integral with the pinion 215. tudinal and lateral movement of the plates 321, 322, may not interfere with their relative position by swinging the toggle links 323, 324, the link 328 preferably normally occupies a substantially vertical position, and is of considerable length, so that a slight longitudinal movement 0 its upper end does not give it sufficient inclination to effect the height of that. end while its connections with the bell crank lever 3'29. and with the toggle links have a sufiiciently loose fit to permit a slight lateral movement of the two plates.

Relative longitudinal movement between the catch hooks'106 and the looping pins 104, for the purpose of opening out theloops for the passage ofthe shuttle, as reviously described, is preferably effected by means of a horizontally v disposed swinging lever 332- (Fig. 12) pivotallyv attached to the frame of thermachine at 333, and connected, at one. side of its pivot, to the pin bar-300 by a'link 334and at the opposite side of its pivot to the plate 322 by means of a link 335. The

In order that the longipivotal connections between the links 334 and 335 and\the pin bar 300 and plate 322, respectively, are preferably vertically disposed in order that there may also be .a

slight lateral movement of the pin bar and;

the plate. The lever 332 is connected by a shortlink 336 (Fig. 8) to one arm of a bell crank lever 337,'p1votally attached to the frame of the mac ine at 338 and operated by means of a cam 339, rigidly mounted on the driving shaft 117, and engaging a cam roller 340 carriedby the bell crank. As shown, the cam 339 is formed integral with the cam 273, previously described, for imparting vertical movement to the cast ofl' bar 255 and with the needle bar 303.

Lateral movement is imparted to the pin bar300 and to the plates 321, 322 for the purpose of moving the looping pins 104 and the catch hooks 106 into and out'of operative position in the throat of the machine by meansof a cam bar 341 4: Figs. 3 and 12) embedded in the table 111 and having a 'the cam 320 provided for laterally moving 321, 322, respectively, the latter being preferably mounted upon an angular lateral extension 346 of the plate 322. The cam bar 341 is connected by a link 347 to one arm of a bell crank lever 348 (Fig. pivotally attached to the frame of the machine at 349 and having upon the endof its other arm a cam roller which engages a cam 349 v mounted on the driving shaft 117.

'Each of the shuttles 107 is adapted to travel across the table 111' of the machine and return to its normal position, illustrated in Fig. 3, to pass the weft thread B carried by its bobbin 350 through the loop of warp thread formed on the-pins 104, 105, and, as.

shown, has a T-slot 351, Fig. 21, formed on its under face and adapted to engage either one of two T-rai1s352, 353, mounted in a transverse position on the-table of the maopposite sides of the throat 112, in order that'the shuttle may pass from one to the other. Each shuttle 107 is driven on these rails across the throat by means of a pair of pinions 354, 355, journaled in thetable 111, one at each side of the throat of the machine, but preferably spaced apart a less distance than the length of the base of the shuttle. Each pinion has a portionv of its face projecting through the head of one of the rails 352, 353, to engage a gear-rack 356 formed on the base of the shuttle, as shown,

within the T-slot 351. The pinions 354, 355,

for all of the shuttles are mounted on shafts 357, 358, housed within the table 111 and preferably extending the entire length of the machine. As shown, each of these shafts has one of itsends projecting through the standard 109, as indicated at 359, 360, Fig.

-"l2, and is there provided with a driving pinion 361. The two driving shafts357, 358, are operatively connected to turn together preferably by means of an idle' ear 362,

' rotatively attached to the frame 0 the machine at 363 and meshing with both driving pinions 361.

A reciprocable gear-rack 364 is provided to simultaneously drive the two shafts 357, 35 8, alternately in opposite directions, in order to advance and return the shuttles 107, and, as shown, this rack meshes with one of the pinions 361. It has a sliding bearingin the frame of the machine, as most clearly shown in Fig. 12. and is adapted to be intermittently rcciprocated by means of a swinging arm 365, ivotally attached to the frame of the machine 'nearits base at 366, and connected by a link 367 to a lug 368 formed on the gear-rack and rojecting through a slot 369 (Fig. 2) provi ed in the their ends in register on' front wall of the rack housing. A cam 370 is provided for swinging the arm 365, and, as shown, rigidly mounted on the driving shaft -117. Y

Each of the shuttles 107 takes the form of an elongated housing-for a bobbin 350 and for thread tensioning and take-up mechanism, most clearly shown in Fig.19. The lower wall of the shuttle is suitably curved, as shown at 371, to provide'a seat for the periphery of.

the bobbin, and preferably adjacent this seat an aperture 372 is formed for receivinga quantity of absorbent material, which may be moistened with oil through a lateral opening 373, for the purpose of lubricating the seat. The side walls of the shuttle are extended upwardly, as indicated at 37 4, to support the bobbin, and most conveniently these extensions are formed of .sheet metal in order that the outside dimensions of the shuttle may be as small as possible. A tensioning finger 375 is pivotally attached to the shuttle'walls above the bobbin at 376, and is yie ldingly advanced by a spring 37 coiled aboutv its pivot to frictionally engage the thread wound on the bobbin to retard its rotation when the thread is drawn out. One

end of this spring 37 7 reacts upon and supports a thread loop 37 S, rotatably mounted on the pivot 376 which carries the finger 375 and having an eye 379 throu h which the thread B may pass as it runs rom the bobbin. A shoulder 380 is formed on the loop 378 and forms-with a stop-pin 381, secured to the-walls of the shuttle, a grip for preventing the paying out of thread when it is overturned on the loop, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 19-. 4

Preferably a spring-controlled take-up device is provided on eachshuttle for controlling the slack thread whenever the shuttle is operated. As shown, this takes the form of a yoke 382pivotally attached to the walls of the shuttle at 383 and bearing on the thread at its outer end, as indicated at 384. This yoke is normally drawn toward the dotted lines position of Fig. 19 by a spring-385, which reacts between the fioor of the shuttle and the yoke through a link 3S6f A pin 387 is attached to the walls of the shuttle for the purpose of guiding the thread to the loop 378, and as shown is so disposed that'it also serves to frictionally engage a projecting inner end 388 of the tensioning finger 375 to support it in the raised position, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 19. To this position, the finger will necessarily be shifted by manually withdrawing the bobbin from the shuttle when its thread has been exhausted and it is important that the finger should then be supported, as shown, to facilitate the insertion of a fresh bobbin.

7 Should the tensioning finger become displaced from, its support when there is no bobbin in the shuttle, its downward movement is lnnlted, in order that its outer end expansive force is more nearly spent when but few turns of thread remain onthe bobbin and the latter must, therefore, revolve more rapidly to pay out thread at a given rate than when thebobbinis full.

Preferably all of the shuttles 107 are fixed against longitudinal movement on the table 111 of the machine, and the weft thread which each carries is knotted alternately with each of two adjacent warp threads by forming the loops previously described, in

each warp thread alternately in front of each of two adjacent shuttles. As one end of that portion of each warp thread from which the loop is made is carried by the carrier 103, its position along the machine is determined by the longitudinal position of the carrier, which in turn is controlled'by the pattern wheel 214. The other end of that portion of each warp thread from which the loop is made extends to the finished fabric on the take-up rolls 118, 119, and, as

shown, is moved along the machine from a position in front of one of the shuttles 107 to a position in front of the next adjacent shuttle by longitudinally shifting these rolls after the formation of each knot. Most conveniently both of the take up rolls 118, 119, are slidingly journaled in brackets 400 and 401 projecting from a hori zontal frame member 402 (Fig. 3) of the.

machine, and the two rolls are fixed against relative longitudinal movement by means of a flange 403 formed on one of them as 119 and fitting into a groove 404 formed in the other, as shown adjacent its right-hand. end, as viewed in Fig. 1. One of the rolls as 118is extended through the upright frame member 109, as indicated at 405, and is provided near its outer end with a pair of shoulders 406 between which it receives the slotted end of a bell-crank lever 407, pivotally attached to the frame of the machine at 408.

Means are provided for intermittently swinging the bell-crank lever 407 to longitudinally shift the take-up rolls 118, 119, and as shown thistakes the form of a camtrack 409 formed on the pattern wheel 214, and in which runs a cam roller 410 carried by the bell-crank. To insure the fabric being shifted with the take-up rolls, the surface of one of them, as 118, is roughened,

.preferably by having formed thereon a plurality of circumferential grooves 411.

As shown, the roll 119. is provided with a gear 412 which meshes with a gear 413 formed on the drum 120, and has a sufficiently broad face to permit of the relative longitudinal movement between the roll and the drum withoutdisturbing the gear connection. Rotative movement is imparted from the roll 119 to the grooved roll 118, through gearing 414, and both rolls therefore are-intermittently driven to advance. the fabric through the drum 120 by the ratchet and pawl mechanism 125, 126, previously described.

Tensioning mechanism is provided for straining the warp threads A, A, to draw up the knot loops, Figs. 39 and 40, after the weft threads 13, B, have been passed through the loops to form a knot, and as the machine preferably forms a large number of knots simultaneously in a row, one knot being formed in each of'the warp threads, great power is required to insure all of the knots being drawn taut. As shown, provision is made for supplementing the power obtained from the revolving parts of the machine for operating the tensioning mechanism by means of a power cylinder illustrated in detail in Fig. 5, and adapted to be operated by a compressed fluid.

Preferably the tensioning mechanism acts upon the warp threads A, A, between the take-out mechanism illustrated in Figs. 16, 17 and 18, and the thread carrier 103, and 'is most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and As shown, it comprises a horizontally-disposed bar 425 extending for substantially the entire length of the machine and supported by or floating upon the warp threads A, A. It is guided by a plurality of vertically-elongated loops 426 (Fig. 1) with each of which it has a rotative engagement through a flanged bushing, 427 (Fig. 41) having frictionless rollers 428. The loops 426 are mounted upon a vertically movable plate 426*, carried by cross-head 429, each having a sliding engagement with a slideway 430 formed on the frame of the machine. Each cross-- head 429 is connected by a link 431 to one arm of a swinging lever 432, pivotally attached to the frame of the machine at 433, and preferably so formed as to have great strength. A connecting rod 435 is joined by a swivel 434 to each of the levers 4,32, and is united bya link 439 to a cam lever 436, pivotally hung from the shaft 211, and having at its free end a cam-engaging roller 437 which rides upon a cam 438 (shown in Figs. 1 and 5) mounted on the driving shaft 117 and preferably formed integral with the cam 370 provided for reciprocating the shuttles 107. Preferably the link 439 is adjustably united to the lever 436 by means of a clamp ing bolt464 passing through a slot 465 (Fig.

42) in the lever, and is connected by a pitman 440 to the piston-rod 441 of a power cylinder 442 mounted in an A-frame 443 bolted to the frame of the machine at 444 and 445. An adjustable stop is provided for limiting the outwardtravel of the piston 446 within the power Cylinder 442 and, as shown, takes the form of a bolt 447 havingv a threaded engagement with the outer head of the cylinder and adapted to be secured in any adjusted position by a lock-nut 448.

A threaded nipple 449 is fbrmed upon the wall of the power cylinder 442 for the connection of, a suitable source of power fluid, not shown, and for the exhaust of fluid from the cylinder. As shown, a rotary valve 450 is mounted in the nipple 449 for controlling the admission and exhaust of power fluid and this valve is operated by a cam 451 mounted on the driving shaft 117 and pref-- erably formed integral with the cam 349 provided for controlling the lateral vmovement of the looping pins. 104 and of the catch hooks 106. A valve-rod 452 connects a crank arm 453 formedon the stem of the valve 450 to a cam-lever .454 hung from the shaft 211 and provided at its free end with a roller for engaging the 'cam 451.

shown is pivotally attached to the front plate 160 at 456 in such a position that it overhangs the upper edge of this plate. The loop 455 is provided with a shoulder 457 which, with the upper edge of the plate,

160 forms a jaw for gripping the thread when its outer end is depressed by the downward strain of the tensioning device.

'The operation of the machine is as fol lows Power is applied to the driving shaft 117 by means of a belt pulley 460 loosely mounted thereon and having rotative connection with the shaft through a train of speed-reducing gears including a pinion 462 formed on the hub of'the belt pulley 460, a

gear 461 fixedv in position on'the frame of the machine and having inwardly-directed teeth, and an idler 463 connecting the two and carried by a crank-arm 464 rigidly mounted on the shaft 117. After the completion of each row of knots in the fabric, the take-up rolls 1 18, 119, and the drums 120 are advanced by the ratchet and pawl mechanism 125, 126, drawing an amount of weft thread from the bobbins350 carried by the' shuttles 107, and of warp thread from the take-out apparatus (Fig. 18) by drawing the movable comb 148 to the right as viewed in that figure, equal to the desired distance to the next rowof knots, or to the size of the mesh in terms of the so-called square measure. 'The-distance through which the takeup rolls turn at'each advance is determined by the position of the stop 136 on the scale 142, Fig. 9, and between each advance of the take-up rolls the movable comb 148' ofthe I take-out apparatus is returned to its normal position by the cam 150, Fig. 16, drawing from the spools 115 an amount of .warp thread equal to that just taken out by the last advance of the take-up rolls. After each advance of the fabric, the looping pins 104, 105, and the catch hooks 106 are advanced into operation by theaction of the cam plate 341. (Fig. '12) and the cam 320 (F 25) and ,each of the warp threads is wound around 'the two looping pins by the combined vertical and longitudinal movement of the thread carrier 103 to produce loops, Figs. 39 and 40, through which the shuttles 107 may be passed with the weft threads to produce a knot. During this part of the operation, the warp-threads are held tautby the weight of the tensioning bar 425 which may rise and fall within the loops 426 to permit the movement of the carrier without taking additional thread from the spools 115.

In, order that each warp thread may be knotted alternately with each of two adjacent weft threads, and that alternate rows of knots may be oppositely drawn, as illustratedin Fig. 38, that portion a: (Figs. 30 and 34) of each warp thread extending from the finished fabric on the take-up rolls is passed, by the movement of the carrier 103, to the right, as viewed from the front of the machine alternately beneath each'of two adjacent pins 104, and then over, alternately in opposite directions the same looping-pin 105.

The pin 105 is then shifted to the right or left by a longitudinal movement of the needle-bar 303 (Fig. 26) to a position directly over that one of the pins 104 around which'the same warp thread has just been passed, thus bringing the loop immediately in front of the desired one of the shuttles 107. The catch 106 is now closed upon the strand a of the loop by a shifting of the toggle links 323, 324, Fig. 13, the lower portion of the loop is opened out for the passage of the shuttle by a relative-longltudinal move- -ment between the looping pins 104 and the catch hooks 106, produced by a shifting of the lever 332 (Fig. 12) and the carrier bar 103 islowered to a position below the plane of the shuttles 107.

. The position of the threadat 'the'throat of the machine for alternate rows of knots is now that illustrated in Figs. 30 and534. The shuttle 107 carrying a weft thread is then advanced through the loop of warp thread by the turning of the pinions 354, 355. A After the shuttle has crossed the throat of, 

